Treasure Trove in the Pacific.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 75, 8 May 1903, Page 3

Treasure Trove in the Pacific.

STRAXGE KTOE.Y FP.OM THE LAW COURTS.

AMERICAN EXPEDITION.

(Christchurch Press, of Fn-lay last). A recent l;:,vr K uifc in Sydney has biwlit to JijrJ:t a roiTLintiß of t-rciisure trove in ibo Puciiic. and sonic interestirlr p ; i' r . liculaiv^ oi .-in expedition for its recovery Inn buried ii-e:is;irc is said to be !oL-;;ic' on ono oi the islands in the Tnhitiai- jrroo^ vlr.th&r :t, Imd h^eu ti\uis[erred fr-nn Coco-; island, iho scene of more ti'i-n ore st(>rv <w hidden millions. Captain Vo-<s, wlio ,cid hc:-o vestc.i"d;iy. to coiit-inue liis voy::go j-ound the lrorlrl in lii r ; t;;:y ves^J Uio Tilikum. k dcdaiod t.-> bo mcclitaliii" a descent, at .some future date, upon Cocos i:-;l;iiul. to soiir-jh for soven miliioji iinund"' worth of Peuiv.'an sold .sui>]:oscd to-k'v U bern T?uricd there in 1827 by the captain r.,utl civ.v.- oi' a Uiiiislv ship. to v.-hon! l.bs-t-reasuj-o utid boor, entrusted by tho Peruvian tiovc-rnmoni; for rafe kecpiix' duriinr the \var v/itli Chili. Tlia f;-ots brought ou"t m t.:n Suproiiia Court at Rvdr.ey the. other clay maiepto (hi-.t other people nho lnvc thoit- eyes upon the Cocos millions, belief in tlio existence of which is evidently as strontj ;is ever.

■ Tho schooner Herman, equipped for a search expedition, pi rived in Sydney ]a-,t January from Spn Francisco. The object Oi it:-- qu.-st Wiis explained last week by tho ma'-tcr, Captain Brown to an intei-viewer. "Tho treasure," ho -aid, "was said to bo worth fifty million dollars. Captain Smith, of the .American schooner Black W:tch sailed v.-jth it from CV.lao whfn, m 1t22, tliore was troulMo between Ibo Si)arn;:rds and tho Peruvians, and brought it to Cocos Isbwid. T.hon troixbls arose amon^t tho Black Witch's orcv,-. and i.ea-vv weathc-r was f-xnerienccd. The upshot w;;s that Captain Smith and another man woie tho only -r>ers!r>ns to return to tho mainland. Tho. c:u>tain made his way home to Saleni. and related his experioßcc to his son."

And how did you become connected with tho matter?

"Tn the latter part of 1849 I was mate of n 2Cew York shin lviiig at Kingston Jamaica., in tho West Indies, wiiich was the most approved rendezvous for pirates in f,];o:-o parts'. I made the acquaintance of Ca-ntrim Smith's so;:, who was nmter of a fino l>:g schooner, wliich ho was fitting out ostensibly for ncnl fishing." Why ostensibly?

"As ft blind to (lio CiiKtomhoii^e oflieers. He was rea.Hy rjo'inir for tlio Cocns treasure. At that 'iimc I was nnli- a youngster, and fit for anvth'nc mid lie hnd "little difficulty in inducing me to join, him. He sailed as mast-er mid I ;:.s mats. Wo aryived at Coins. Iflancl. and lincl no trouble in finding the treasure which we quickly transfejveel to tbn pchoonor. Then wa set sail for a certain island in tho Tahitian irrouii. Theio wo OKcavatod a. cave, and planted tho trer.suro, toTetb.er with fomo more -vliicii wo had added to it. Wflll. afttil that I e>\r,\c ::.irrvy in n, small vncbi." And wliat, about the master and the crew o" llh-t sciioniier? "They died ar.cl the schooner was burned." - Wbv was yhc burnrd? "WdV—vitli a i-irrnificaiit shruct of the sh.ouldrrc—"the captain knew—but he's t!e:<d." And whero did yo". ,c;o" to? "I c.irne aci-oss to Australia, mid Jjindad at. Gnichen Bay. near the mouth of the Murray. T liroiifflit with 7ne £100,000 of treasure, but as a blind. I first went to to the. irold dipv^ings. Subsequently I took un n, cattle? sbecT» ranch at Mount Gambicr, and later on I went to England. T rrmainpcl iv T.ondon a.bnut ten years as a, shin-broker. Then T went to America., and I have since then been enrrvinp on lir.si-iiCr-'.-i :;s a 'wrecker' and ship-broker in Providence City. TUiorle Tslaiul. Lat<r on (his syndicate w«n formed by Dr Lewis and tho schooner Hermrm was boufrht in onn Francisco for tho purposes of this expedition."

And why didn't you go direct to the treasurn island, instead of comir.g from San Francisco to Sydney

"Becaiifo wo could not get down to the i.<4arMi=: in tirw to <wm;c tho 'hurricanel, sens-^n.' but I am ror.clr to start v.ovr if this Icgxl trouble was only nrov.''

Kcwltfc: "Yes. old Goodmans' three boys are a bad lot. Two of them, at least, ought to be in gaol." Brown: ".Some redeeming qnnlity about thejhird one, eh?" Newitt : "Yes, he's already there."

■ 3lrs Tlo^'or: "Hoy do yon mnnngo' to get your carp-t;; so c'er.n? 'Do yoxi lure a professional carpet-benter?" Mr.-i Xoifrhhonr : "No, my Imsband beats them, and I ahvayn do something to make mm angry just before ho begins the job."

Poirpus : "If, is my ambition to leave mv foot-prints on the sands of time." Cynicus: ''A laudable ambition. But do you think thcro is room enough?"